Nigerian prisoners' experience: prison circumstances, family support and sleep quality.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the association between prison circumstances, perceived family support and sleep quality among male inmates at the Ibara prison, Ogun State. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: It was a cross-sectional study of 300 male inmates interviewed with socio-demographic proforma and Pittsburgh sleep quality index. FINDINGS: While all respondents described the prison as being overcrowded, half of them used inappropriate sleeping materials daily and 41.4% decried a very noisy environment at night. Twenty-seven percent of the respondents described poor family support while 47.3% experienced poor sleep quality. Though nature of sleeping material and self-awareness of sleep problem were associated with poor sleep quality, no predictor of the latter was identified. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: The study was conducted among males only because of the relative dominance of the male gender in the prison population. This makes analysis of gender difference impossible. Furthermore, sleep studies may be preferred over reports by some sleep experts. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Findings from this study may culminate in taking steps to improve the Nigerian prison conditions as well as the prisoner's welfare. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS: Developing support group for relatives of inmates may be a focus of social intervention for these inmates. Also, inmates with good sleep quality are likely to partake effectively in the prison reformation programmes and may not self-medicate with sedatives. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: This study provides a scholarly documentation of the state of Nigerian prisons; inmates' perception of family support; prevalence and correlates of poor sleep quality among a group of male inmates.

Case-controlled field study of the ICD-11 clinical descriptions and diagnostic requirements for Bodily Distress Disorders.

AIMS: Mental disorders characterized by preoccupation with distressing bodily symptoms and associated functional impairment have been a target of major reconceptualization in the ICD-11, in which a single category of Bodily Distress Disorder (BDD) with different levels of severity replaces most of the Somatoform Disorders in ICD-10. This study compared the accuracy of clinicians' diagnosis of disorders of somatic symptoms using either the ICD-11 or ICD-10 diagnostic guidelines in an online study. METHODS: Clinically active members of the World Health Organization's Global Clinical Practice Network (N = 1065) participating in English, Spanish, or Japanese were randomly assigned to apply ICD-11 or ICD-10 diagnostic guidelines to one of nine pairs of standardized case vignettes. The accuracy of the clinicians' diagnoses as well as their ratings of the guidelines' clinical utility were assessed. RESULTS: Overall, clinicians were more accurate using ICD-11 compared to ICD-10 for every presentation of a vignette characterized primarily by bodily symptoms associated with distress and impairment. Clinicians who made a diagnosis of BDD using ICD-11 were generally correct in applying the severity specifiers for the condition. LIMITATIONS: This sample may represent some self-selection bias and thus may not generalize to all clinicians. Additionally, diagnostic decisions with live patients may lead to different results. CONCLUSIONS: The ICD-11 diagnostic guidelines for BDD represent an improvement over those for Somatoform Disorders in ICD-10 in regard to clinicians' diagnostic accuracy and perceived clinical utility.

Insomnia and quality of life of prisoners at a Nigerian maximum-security prison.

PURPOSE: This study aims to determine the prevalence of insomnia as well as its association with the quality of life of the inmates in a Nigerian prison. Prisoners are a disadvantaged group of people whose needs are often unmet. Many authors have focussed on investigating the prevalence and pattern of psychiatric morbidity, as well as substance use among prisoners. However, sleep disorders, which can predispose or precipitate psychiatric disorders, have been largely neglected in research. The relationship between insomnia and quality of life (QoL) among the general population has been documented but similar investigations have yet to be conducted among the prisoner population. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: This was a cross-sectional study with 300 male prisoners at the Ibara prison, Abeokuta, Nigeria who were not diagnosed with depressive, generalized anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorders. Each respondent was interviewed with a sociodemographic proforma, Insomnia module of the Schedule for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry and the brief World Health Organisation Quality of Life questionnaire. FINDINGS: About half of the respondents (45.7%) met diagnostic criteria for insomnia. A diagnosis of insomnia and some sleep-related variables were significantly associated with QoL. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: All the possible correlates of insomnia could not be investigated. Further research should be conducted to identify more correlates and investigate the impact of insomnia on prisoners' lives. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Improvement of prison climate (relationships in prison, safety and order, contact with the outside world, facilities, meaningful activities and autonomy) may mitigate insomnia among prisoners. Prison psychiatry in Nigerian correctional centres should be made a priority. SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS: The findings have brought to light the need to address the current social welfare system in place for Nigerian correctional centres. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study provided information on the prevalence of insomnia and poor QoL among prisoners in a Nigerian correctional facility.